1) To simplify the details of the Trojan War and Homer's Iliad, in order to make these stories accessible and interesting to students.
2) To provide the necessary information to place the Iliad in the context of the Trojan War as a whole.
3) To give students visual references to the many characters in the Iliad, in order to better define them.
4) To introduce students to the Greek epic tradition, in order to interest them in the myths and legends that are the foundation of western culture.